Astro on Tap Seattle: Massive Stars and Building Space Telescopes

Get excited for Astronomy on Tap at Bickersons Brewhouse in Ballard at 7pm on August 27th! Each FREE Astronomy on Tap event features an accessible, engaging science presentations on topics ranging from planets to black holes to the beginning of the Universe. Most events have games and prizes to test and reward your new-found knowledge! There is always lots of time to ask questions and interact with the presenters and other scientists who inevitably stick around for the beer. Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@AoTSeattle), Instagram (@aotseattle), TikTok (@astroontapseattle) and here on Facebook to get updates on future events! Can’t make it to our event in person? Have no fear because you can always catch the live stream on our YouTube account or rewatch past favorites (https://www.youtube.com/@astronomyontapseattle2986/streams)! ————– This Month’s speakers: Sarah Tuttle is a professor of astronomy at the University of Washington, Seattle. She grew up in Santa Cruz, CA and didn’t realize at the time how lucky she was to be so close to the stars. Her path has meandered through many institutions including UCSC, where she earned her B.S. in Physics, and Columbia University, where she earned her PhD. She has worked developing screen-printable LEDs, constructing sailboats, and creating balloon animals by request at bars in the American Southwest. Her professional specialties include the design and construction of astronomical instruments for ground-based and space-based observatories. She has worked towards a more equitable world (including in astronomy) in a variety of ways, including co-founding the American Astronomical Society Working Group on Accessibility & Disability, and has served as a volunteer and board member for causes from summer camps to abortion funds.

Ishan Ghosh-Coutinho is a postbaccalaureate researcher at UW Astro, and received their bachelors in Astronomy from UW in 2024 along with a minor in Theatre Design for Performance. They are an avid enthusiast of Weird, Massive, Variable and/or Evolved Stars. Their research has involved the application of both time domain astronomy and stellar spectroscopy. While at UW they mentored local high school robotics and CTE programs, played lots of DnD, and worked on Student Advocacy! They recently became a member of the American Astronomical Society’s Committee for Sexual Orientation and Gender Minorities in Astronomy, and are excited to start graduate school in fall at KU Leuven, Belgium.

poster credit: Bonni Choi